Custom-Built Sheep And Goat Milking Carousel

Custom-Built Sheep And Goat Milking Carousel LIVESTOCK Sheep/Goats 30-1-7 Paul E. Fisher of Newburg, Penn., custom-builds sheep and goat milking carousels. This unique piece of dairy barn equipment saves farmers a lot of steps and time, because they can remain stationary while the round turntable brings the next animal to them. "We first built a carousel for ourselves to use, and we really like it, so I decided to do custom orders for other people," Fisher says. "Ours milks 8 sheep, but I can make them bigger. With goats, you might want to go as big as a 12 or 14 animal capacity." Fisher says his own 8-sheep table is 10 ft. in dia., and is 6 ft. off the ground in the center where the headlocks are located. The system has a sturdy steel tubing frame and the platform is made from rubber matting on a steel base. Sheep access the carousel by way of a built-in ramp, unless the carousel is located in a sunken milking parlor pit. "You can buy straight-row parlors for sheep and goats, but I don't think anyone else sells a round turn-table type in the U.S.," he says. "They're available overseas, and we saw a picture of one and liked it, so we just figured it out how to build one on our own. I'd say they're ideal for people milking a herd of 15 or more sheep or goats." Depending on what is ordered, the platform can either be turned automatically by a motor, or simply manually advanced. Every unit includes either a built-in vacuum line for buckets, or a pipeline system. The vacuum pump can also be included if desired. The carousel that Fisher uses on his own farm is set up for bucket milking. Once the platform is filled with animals, he starts putting on the milking machines. The buckets sit under the platform, on a base that's part of the carousel frame. As he finishes putting on each milker, Fisher turns the platform and moves on to the next sheep. By the time he has advanced to the last sheep, the first one is done or close to being done milking, so the turn table continues to be advanced while he begins removing the milkers in preparation for the next set of animals. The completed carousel is constructed in several sections, and they need to be assembled after shipping. In most cases, he can build a milking carousel in six weeks, and welcomes calls requesting price estimates. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Paul E. Fisher, 16957 Cumberland Hwy., Newburg, Penn. 17240 (ph 717 423-5680).

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